Powder box



Feb. 15, 1938. J. N'. ROYAL. 2,108,551

POWDER BOX Filed Dec. 4, 1955 Patented Feb. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PowDER Box Application December 4, 1935, Serial No. 52,858

10 Claims.

The invention has relation to boxes, and as to its more specific features to face powder boxes used as compacts. In the embodiment illustrated the box is made of paper or similar flexible material, and includes a powder retaining compartment provided with a head which may be readily pierced by an ordinary pin, to furnish holes for discharge of the powder into a loose-powder compartment.

It is an object of the invention to provide a face powder box designed to serve the dual purpose of a non-spill receptacle for loose powder, as well as a service compact. Another object is to provide a face powder box adapted to prevent spilling of powder whether or not the purchaser follows instructions as to leaving said perforable head in place. Another object is to provide a face powder box comprising upper and lower powder receiving compartments removable from each other, the upper compartment having a perforable bottom head, and the volume of the lower compartment being sufficient to contain a greater amount of powder than the upper compartment.

Another object is to so dispose the several parts, that no loose powder, regardless of what position the box may have been carried in, can be above and out over the top edge of the base wall in which'place it would spill on removal of the cover.

Another object is to provide such a face powder box provided with means to check the flow of the powder from the upper into the lower compartment following perforation of said head.

Anotherobject is to provide such a face powder box wherein said means to check the flow of the powder is removable from the lower compartment and serves to vary the volume of the lower compartment.

'40 Another object is to provide such a face powder box wherein said means to check the flow of the powder tends to form a closure for the perforations of said head to thereby reduce to a minimum the amount of powder siftable through said perforations during certain uses of the box.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.y

The invention consists in the'novel construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter setA forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating an embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a face powderbox embodying the invention;v

Fig. 2 is a similar view but not in perspective showing the perforations in the head and loose powder in lower chamber;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, with cover raised and lower perforable head removed and showing the powder content of the drum located 5 within the base;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-Sectional view showing the perforations in the head and a powder puff located within the lower chamber of the base;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 2 showing a modification wherein a domed disk filler element is located within the lower chamber of the base.

In the drawing, the numeral l designates the bottom ofthe base and 2 the circumferential side wall ange thereof which is substantially the full height of the box; 3 is the domed top of the cover and 4 the circumferential side wall flange thereof telescoped within and of less height than that of said base ange to thereby provide a chamber 5 located within the lower portion of said base, and 6 is the powder-carrying drum telescoped tightly within and of a height less than that of said base flange and having a perforable head lc'overing the lower end thereof and located immediately above said chamber; this lhead l being usually made of thin paper readily punctured or broken.

The perforable head 'l is adapted to be pierced by an ordinary pin to provide holes 8 for discharge of powder, and a powder puif 9 is prefer ably located within said chamber, powder tending to sift downwardly through said holes upon said puff, the latter tending to act as a closure for the perforations of said head to thereby reduce to a minimum the amount of powder siftable through said perforations during the time between applications of powder, the powder puff being adapted to receive additional powder from said holes at the will of the user upon tapping the cover of the box.

Loose powder from the perforations of said head and from said puff tends to accumulate in said lower chamber of the base, in limited but sufficient quantity for subsequent application, and is protected against spilling. Shouldthe purchaser fail to follow instructions, which may be printed on the box. and remove the perforable head from the powder carrying drum, the base which has a volume sufficient tocontain a greater amount of powder than the drum, is adapted to receive all of the powder that had been contained in said drum, and retain it in a position where it cannotrspill ovei` the edge of the base, as indicated in Fig. 3.

The base I, 2 constitutes a lower and loose powder receiving compartment of the box and the cover 3, 4 constitutes an upper and contained powder compartment, the latter compartment being the general supply compartment of the box, in which the supply of powder is contained.

It has been indicated above that the side wall or flange 6 of the powder supply drum is of less height or width than that of the wall or flange 2 of the box base. The wall or ange 4 of the cover, telescoping within the wall 2 of the base, is also less in height or width than the base wall 2, and may as shown be of substantially the same width as the drum wall 6. It will also be noted that the upper wall 3 of the general powder supply compartment, at points thereof adjacent to the side wall flang-es, is positioned substantially at the same level as the upper edge of the base flange 2 when the cover is closed.

Powder containers of the nature ofthe improved container herein disclosed are often used in service and are thus often carried in handbags, and the like, and are often caus-ed to assume various positions, frequently being caused to lie in edgewise position or bottom side up. Often the user prefers to remove the thin, frangible, perforable head or wall 1 so as to allow the entire volume of powder to move into the base compartment. At other times the head 1 is removed inadvertently or accidentally; however, as above mentioned, the head 1 may be permitted to remain in position and be perforated by the user so as to allow the powder to sift from the containing drum into the lower compartment. Due to the described arrangement of the side wall flanges of the cover and base and of the containing drum, the powder in the box can never pile up, when the cover is closed, to a point above the upper edge of the base ange 2. As can be readily seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the powder is retained from coming into contact with the upper inner edge of the flange 2 by means of the interposed cover flange 4 and drum flange 6. The upper wall 3 of the drum compartment prevents the powder from assuming a position above the edge of the wall 2 even though the box is carried on its edge, or bottom side up. The result when the head 'l is removed as indi-Y cated in Fig. 3 is that spilling of the powder from the box at the time the cover is removed is wholly avoided together with troublesome soiling or marring of garments or other objects. If the box has been carried on its edge just prior to the removal of the cover, th-e powder may be piled up at one side of the box against the top wall and against the adjacent drum wall, but it cannot assume a position above or against the upper edge of the wall 2; upon the removal of the cover under these conditions the powder will not fall over the edge ofthe wall 2, and portions of the powder piled up against the flange E may fall into the recess adjacent to the inner surface of the wall 2 from which the flanges 4 and 6 have been retracted by the removal of the cover. Spilling of' the powder over the edge of the wall 2 at the time the cover is removed is thus very effectively avoided.

In Figure 5 of the drawing, a modification is shown wherein a domed disk or filler element lll is located within the lower chamber of the base below said head, said disk as in the case of said powder puff tending to act as a closure or dam for the perforations of said head to thereby reduce to a minimum the amount of powder siftable through said perforations during use of the box.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that the upper or powder supply compartment is provided with an underlying passageway through which the powder in said upper compartment normally passes into the lower compartment 5 from which it is normally taken for use. This passageway, in the embodiment shown, is at the lower extremity of the powder receiving drum and is covered by the frangible and perforable wall or membrane 1. The powder normally moves downwardly through this passageway before it is accessible for use. It will be noted that the cover part or section of the box is normally checked or stopped in its downward or closing movement with the inner surface of the top 3 substantially at the same level as the upper edges of the side wall flange 2, thus avoiding piling up of the powder above the upper edges of said side wall or base flange 2. 'Ihis limiting of the closing movement of the cover may be accomplished in different ways and in the illustrative embodiment of the drawing is effected by the projecting marginal portions of the top 3 coming into engagement with the upper edges of the flange 2.

The'powder puff and the domed disk I0 each constitute removable means for varying the volume of the lower compartment.

Since certain changes may be made in the above article and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A powder box of the character described having, in combination, an upper retained powder receiving compartment and a lower loose powder receiving compartment, one compartment being removable from the other, said box having a passageway below said upper compartment through which powder passes` from the upper compartment into the lower compartment, the side wall of the upper compartment being less in height than that of the lower compartment and the powder containing capacity of the upper compartment being less than that of the lower compartment, the upper compartment having a frangible and perforable bottom head secured in position over said passageway.

2. A powder box of the character described, having, in combination, an upper powder receiving compartment, and a lower powder receiving compartment, one compartment being removable from the other, said box having a passageway below said upper compartment through which powder passes from the upper compartment into the lower compartment, the side wall of the upper compartment being less in height than that of the lower compartment and the volume of the upper compartment being less than that of the lower compartment, the top of the upper compartment being substantially at the same level as the upper edge of the lower compartment wall, the upper compartment having a frangible and perforable bottom head secured in position over said passageway, and a dam, for limiting the discharge of powder into the lower compartment following perforation of said head.

3. A non-spill powder box including, in combination, a base having a bottom and a side wall flange and having a powder receiving compartment, a cover having a top and having a powder containing compartment with a side wall flange of less height than said base flange and adapted Y ment, a cover having a top and having a powder containing compartment with a side wall flange of less height than said base iiange and adapted to telescope within the latter, said cover having a passageway below said compartment through which powder passes downwardly Irom. the containing compartment into the receiving compartment of the base, and a perforable and frangible sealing wall for said powder containing compartment spaced above said base bottom and secured in position over said passageway, the top wall of said powder containing compartment being substantially at the same level as the upper edge of said base side wall flange when said cover is in closed position.

5. A non-spill powder box including, in cornu bination, a base having a bottom and a side wall iiange and having a powder receiving compartment, a cover having a top and having'a side wall flange adapted to telescope within said base flange, a powder-carrying drum having a side wall flange adapted to telescope closely within said cover flange and being of less height than said base flange so as to provide a powder compartment of less capacity than that of said base, said drum having a passageway below its powder compartment through which powder passes downwardly from the drum compartment into the receiving compartment of the base, and a frangible and perforable wall secured in position over the powder passageway of said drum, said wall being spaced above said base bottom.

6. A non-spill powder box including, in combination, a base having a powder compartment, a cover adapted to telescope in closing position within said base and having a powder supply compartment of smaller capacity than that of' said base compartment, said cover having a passageway below said powder supply compartment through which powder passes downwardly therefrom into the base compartment, and a frangible, perforable sealing wall for said powder supply compartment and secured in` position over said passageway.

7. A non-spill powder box including, in combination, a base having a powder compartment, a cover adapted to telescope in closing position within said base and having a powder supply compartment of smaller capacity than that of said base compartment, said cover having a passageway positioned below said supply compartment through which powder passes downwardly from the supply compartment into the base compartment, and a frangible, perforable sealing wall for said powder supply compartment spaced above the bottom of said'base and secured in position over said passageway, said base and cover having side walls in telescoping closing relation with each other, and the top of said cover lying substantially at the same level as the upper edge of said base side wall when said cover is closed.

8. A non-spill powder box including, in com- Y bination, a base having a powder receiving compartment and a side wall, a cover having a powder supply compartment positioned for communication with said base compartment, said cover having a passageway through which the powder passes from said supply compartment into the receiving compartment of the base, said cover having a side wall telescoping within said base` side wall so as to retain the powder away from the upper edge of the latter wall, and said cover compartment having a top wall positioned to re tain the powder adjacent said cover side wall from assuming a position substantially above the upper edge of said base side wall when the cover is closed.

. 9. A non-spill powder box including, in combination, a base having a bottom and a circumferential side wall ange and having a powder receiving compartment, a cover having a top and a circumferential side wall flange telescoped within and of less height than that of said base flange, and a powder carrying drum having a side wall flange telescoped tightly within said cover flange, said drum having a passageway at its lower end through which powder passes downwardly from the drum into the powder receiving compartment of the base, said drum having a perforable and frangible sealing head secured in position over said passageway and located immediately above and spaced from said base bottom, said base powder receiving compartment being of suicient capacity to contain all of the powder in said drum when full so as to avoid spilling when said cover is removed.

10. A non-spill powder box including, in combination, a base having a bottom and a side wall ange, said base having a powder receiving and storage compartment bounded by said flange, a cover having a top and having a side wall flange of less diameter than that of said base side wall flange so as to be telescoped within the latter and fitting in closing relation therein, said cover side wall flange when in closing position lying against the inside of said base ilange at the upper extremity of the latter so as to restrain the powder from assuming a position against the upper part of said base iiange in order to avoid spilling of the powder when the cover is being removed, and a stop device limiting the closing telescoping movement of said cover on said base so that the inner surface of the cover top when the cover is fully closed is not materially above the upper edges oi' said base ilange, thus avoiding piling up of the powder above the upper edge of said base ange when the cover is closed.

JOSEPH N. ROYAL. 

